Microsoft Windows has been in my life ever since I remember. I grew up using Windows 95, 98, XP and later Vista and 7. I remember using it at school, at home and I saw it everywhere I went.

Naturally, I became used to the operating system and how it functions.

I always loved the idea of computers, I even ended up building several gaming PCs over the years.

I am now using the operating system at a professional level in my career as an IT engineer.

But, when I went to university a few years ago, I discovered MacOS and somehow I became more productive on it compared to Windows.

I had a few second-hand Mac devices over the last couple of years which I primarily used for coursework. But my primary computer was always the Windows PC I built myself.

However, that PC was starting to show its age and considering the fact that I don’t play games anymore, I decided to replace it with a MacBook Air.

Before switching to a MacBook almost 3 weeks ago, it’s been around 2 years since I last used MacOS and even back then, I wouldn’t consider myself as a Mac expert.

But after using it full-time for the last couple of weeks, I decided to share 5 things I learned after ditching Windows for MacOS.

Starting with the fact that the operating system just works!

1. MacOS Just Works!

I know that this depends on the machine and the condition of the operating system. But one of the main issues I have with Windows is the fact that it is always doing something I don’t want it to be doing.

For example, it will start doing Windows Updates when I quickly want to check something and whenever I don’t want it to. It would be ok if they didn’t take long but sometimes I end up going to the kitchen, making myself a coffee only to return 10 minutes later to find that it is still installing updates.

Obviously, updates are important both from the security and stability point of view and as an IT professional, I highly recommend doing them. However, my complaint is directed at Microsoft because there has got to be a better way of having them installed without that dreadful wait when you are turning off your computer of turning it on.

The other thing I wanted to talk about is the fact that I have yet to experience an issue so bad that the MacBook switches itself off and goes into an error state to say that it is reporting the issue to Apple.

I may be a new full-time Mac user, but I managed Macs and Windows PCs in a corporate environment and I have never seen a Mac do that.

We are talking about the dreaded blue screens of death (BSOD), which are quite common on Windows machines and sometimes they just happen at random.

The blue screen of death can occur for a number of reasons such as buggy software, faulty or ageing hardware and even overheating. I saw it happen to brand-new machines as well as older machines, it’s just something that happens.

But I don’t think it should, especially as computers aren’t cheap investments. I think that Microsoft really needs to think about this with the rumoured Windows 12.

I mean, I get that Apple caters for their own hardware whereas Microsoft caters to an endless list of hardware, but somehow they need to adopt a standard with the manufacturers for the hardware to work better with the software.

2. Software and App Availability

The second thing I wanted to talk about is the software. I wouldn’t necessarily say that there are more software options available, but I would say that the software plays nice if you have it installed on other Apple devices.

With my experience so far, I have noticed that there are more options available with productivity in mind. I am mainly referring to the MacOS-specific apps such as Things 3, Ulysses, and GoodNotes as well as a handful of other apps which work incredibly well on MacOS as well as other Apple devices, but you can’t use them anywhere else.

It wouldn’t be fair to say that Microsoft Windows didn’t have any productivity software options available as they practically catered Windows 11 for productivity with a Pomodoro timer built into the clock app as well as a handful of other things.

Productivity is much more than just the software, it’s the methods you use to become more productive, it’s the clean look of the app and the operating system that will make you want to work more and so on.

I feel that MacOS makes me more productive for that reason.

Microsoft has done wonders with the Microsoft Store on Windows, but I still don’t think it compares to the App Store on MacOS, mainly because people are used to just downloading software and apps from the manufacturer’s website. I guess the same can be said about MacOS to some extent.

But the main point I am trying to make is that software tends to work better together in the ecosystem of Apple devices which can be handy, especially for productivity.

At the same time, I think that Microsoft has huge potential to build a new Windows ecosystem by simply releasing a new Windows Phone.

3. Hardware Compatibility

When it comes to hardware, Microsoft has the advantage as with many desktop computers and laptops, you can easily upgrade your components if your requirements change.

I have noticed that laptop manufacturers are making this increasingly difficult by integrating RAM and in some cases storage into the motherboard. I was a little bit disappointed to see my Huawei MateBook D15 has 8GB of RAM integrated into the motherboard.

However, with only 8GB of RAM, that laptop performs really well, even with some of the more intensive tasks. It’s actually the reason I decided to only get the 8GB MacBook Air.

It’s not just Huawei that is doing this, I seen it with Dell and a handful of other manufacturers.

Desktop PCs are incredibly easy to upgrade and the choice of hardware is massive.

I must admit I was in for a surprise when I discovered that my shiny new M1 MacBook Air won’t natively support more than 1 external display, especially as someone who often uses multiple displays.

However, I managed to find a workaround for that. I discovered that a DisplayLink-compatible docking station would do the job well, so I purchased a second-hand one on eBay and so far it works incredibly well. You can read more about my discovery here.

The M1 MacBook Air only has 2 USB-C ports, which when I use the MacBook docked to my docking station isn’t a massive issue as that has a whole bunch of ports on it. However, when I travel, I am forced to bring an adapter with me.

At the minute, I am using the Strenter 7 in 1 USB-C Hub, which I reviewed on my channel back in 2021. But I am thinking about getting something a little more compact and using the Strenter USB-C hub on my desk setup. I am literally thinking about mounting it at the bottom of my desk and replacing an old Anker USB-A hub with it.

In terms of the other hardware I have from my Windows desk setup, such as my sound system, microphones and my wireless mouse and keyboard, all seem to work incredibly well.

4. MacOS Built-in Features

I also want to spend some time talking about features that I haven’t really used in MacOS before, but have become extremely useful, starting with the fact that the clipboard is shared across multiple devices.

For example, if I am working on a document on my iPad, I can highlight copy the text to my MacBook which proves to be extremely useful when doing research.

I feel that this is a standard feature that Microsoft should have an app for on Android.

Speaking about transferring things from one device to another, MacBooks are also compatible with AirDrop which allows us to easily transfer things like photos from one device to another.

I am fully aware that Android has an alternative available, and that Huawei has one that can be used on their devices. But as of yet, I haven’t come across a solution as good as Apple’s.

I know that Windows has a similar feature to virtual desktops, but I never really used it. but I have started using Mission Control on MacOS as it kinda makes sense to use it, especially when working from only one screen.

To summarise this section, the one main thing I learned is that Apple has perfected every detail of MacOS to work great and make the user experience better. That has allowed me to use features I would have probably not used if they were implemented into Windows.

5. The Trackpad is AWESOME!

This is something you would have likely not heard me say with most Windows laptops as I simply don’t like trackpads.

To be fair, trackpads have got a lot better over the years, I mean I love the trackpad on my Dell Latitude work laptop and the Huawei MateBook D15, both of which have this glass effect.

But the true magic happens on the MacBook Air I recently purchased, where the trackpad does so much more!

For starters, the gesture control works incredibly well and allows you to effortlessly scroll through web pages, zoom in and out. You can press anywhere on the trackpad to click and if you prefer, you can enable tap to click, which in my opinion is a must!

You can also do things like Force click to do things such as look up more information. If you click with 2 fingers, that acts as a right click on Windows and you can do so much more.

I think that Apple has nailed it with the trackpad on their newer MacBooks, not only is it comfortable to use, but it also offers a much better solution to the majority of Windows laptops, which have basic trackpads that are often uncomfortable to use.

I like the trackpad on my MacBook so much that I’m thinking about buying an external Magic Trackpad to use as a secondary device.

Conclusion

Having not used MacOS full-time for very long, I am still getting used to the system. But with my experience of using Apple Macs at university a couple of years ago, I don’t have to learn a lot.

With that in mind, I decided to share the 5 things I have learned as I thought it would be a great article for people in a similar boat to me and not only.

The fact that I ended up switching from Windows to MacOS does not mean that Microsoft Windows is a bad system, even with my rant about Windows updates and blue screens at the beginning.

Unlike many, I like what Microsoft has done with Windows 11, but I still think that they have a lot of work to do to make it even better. Put it this way, I can’t wait to see what Microsoft does with the rumoured Windows 12.

At the end of the day, the entire switch was based on my personal preference and the apps I like using to keep productive.